Learn to make chocolate 'bean to bar' right at the source! You will explore cacao farms with modern day Maya, harvest your own pods, visit the Toledo Cacao Growers Association to learn about Fair Trade, participate in a series of hands-on workshops, plant and tag your own cacao tree, and complete your own chocolate bars to take home. These 'Chocolate Weeks' take place twice a year, once around Valentine's Day (February 8 - 15, 2009) and once around the Toledo Cacao Festival (May 17 - 24, 2009).

This all occurs at Cotton Tree Lodge in the Toledo District of southern Belize. This 'green' all-inclusive resort offers activities from horseback riding to exploring ruins to swimming through caves, private handcrafted cabanas, and three full meals a day. Check them out at [url]http://www.cottontreelodge.com/[/url] or e-mail holly@cottontreelodge.com for more information.